FAO: Climate Change Likely to Increase Risk of Hunger

Head of Food & Agriculture Organization says industrialized countries could gain in production potential, developing countries may lose

Climate change is likely to undermine food production in the developing world, while industrialized countries could gain in production potential, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today in a speech at the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation Conference in Chennai, India.

“Crop yield potential is likely to increase at higher latitudes for global average temperature increases of up to 1 to 3
Greater frequency of droughts and floods would affect local production negatively, especially in subsistence sectors at low latitudes, Dr. Diouf added.

“Rainfed agriculture in marginal areas in semi-arid and sub-humid regions is mostly at risk,” he explained. “India could lose 125 million tons of its rainfed cereal production — equivalent to 18 percent of its total production.”

The impacts of climate change on forests and on forest dependent people are already evident in increased incidences of forest fires and outbreaks of forest pests and diseases. Climate change adaptation will be needed in a variety of ecosystems, including agro-ecosystems (crops, livestock and grasslands) forests and woodlands, inland waters and coastal and marine ecosystems, according to Diouf.

Climate and Capitalism